Director Daniel K. Phillips
Daniel K. Phillips, a 35-year career public servant, has been appointed by Governor Wes Moore to serve as the permanent SDAT Director following his Interim Director assignment which began in April 2024.
Prior to being named Director, Phillips was designated in 2020 as SDAT’s State Supervisor of Real Property which is the leadership role for the largest division in the agency. Phillips was tasked with overseeing the management, operation, and strategic planning of real property assessments for over 2.3 million residential and commercial properties. Phillips supervised a team of over 350 employees located in the 24 local assessment offices across Maryland. During the three preceding years, Phillips functioned as the Senior Area Supervisor of Commercial and Industrial Assessments where he guided fair and uniform commercial assessment practices throughout the state. Additionally, Phillips has eighteen years of county level management experience within SDAT where he held the positions of Supervisor of Assessments and Assistant Supervisor of Assessments, both in Wicomico County. In his early career he worked more than ten years as a residential assessor and later as a commercial assessor learning the fundamentals of the agency before being promoted into management.
Born and raised on the Eastern Shore, Director Phillips graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Business Administration. He is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser licensed in the State of Maryland. He is a current member of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) and a member and Past President of the Maryland Association of Assessing Officers (MAAO). Phillips serves as a member on several vital governmental committees including the State of Maryland Commission on State Debt, the Francis Scott Key Bridge State Disaster Recovery Coordination Team, the Governor’s Performance Cabinet on Child Poverty and Economic Competitiveness, the Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity, and the State Commerce Subcabinet.
Under the direction of Mr. Phillips, the goals of SDAT are to:
- Promote public trust through open communication and transparent governing.
- Foster cooperative and collegial partnerships with local governments.
- Deliver first class services to all citizens and property owners.
- Create a highly respected agency touted for its professionalism.
- Advance a collaborative workplace utilizing a diverse, quality workforce.
